I have a 72 LeMans with a 400 small block Chevy in it, which isn't original to the car. I have been trying to decode the engine with the numbers I found on the block. The numbers are as follows: T0123CSU, 330817, and 261702197. Thanks for the help greatly appreciated.
67custom said
Mar 13, 2017
musicman6120 wrote:
Hi Everyone,
I have a 72 LeMans with a 400 small block Chevy in it, which isn't original to the car. I have been trying to decode the engine with the numbers I found on the block. The numbers are as follows: T0123CSU, 330817, and 261702197. Thanks for the help greatly appreciated.
According to the casting# it is a 400 out of a 1976 passenger Oshawa built, I do not find a CSU code though, here are the numbers I have.
-- Edited by 67Poncho on Monday 13th of March 2017 04:24:56 PM
musicman6120 said
Mar 13, 2017
Thanks for the inf!
73SC said
Mar 13, 2017
Given it is a 1974, it is possible it was harvested from a Canadian Pontiac B Wagon, that was the only useage of a 400 sbc in an Oshawa Pontiac that year I believe. The Chevrolet B wagons and cars also used the 400 small block I believe.
musicman6120 said
Mar 13, 2017
Thanks for all the great info. The guy that I purchased the car off of told me it was a 350 small block Chevy, but something didn't look right when I looked at the harmonic balancer and the flywheel. After some research I found out it was a 400 small block, just wasn't sure what it came out of. Plus it was backed by a TH350 which when I sent away for the build sheet of the car from GM Canada, it showed the car came with a 400 V8 4 bbl which I assumed was a Pontiac block, and it would have been mated to a TH400 with 3.73 twelve bolt rear end. Not sure what happened to the original motor and trans since the previous owner bought it out west some where, from the original guy that restored it. I had the rear end rebuilt this past summer and had 3.42 gears, because even the rear end gears weren't original, i think they had 2.50 gears in it and it was an open diff. It has a posi rear end now.
73SC said
Mar 13, 2017
Here is the 1972 Canadian LeMans Owners Manual page with engines. Orange = Chevrolet Blue = Pontiac
The 1974 400 small block 4bbl was rated at 180 HP (net) & 290 lb-ft (net)
CdnGMfan said
Mar 14, 2017
It must be from a 1974 Chevrolet full-size wagon, or possibly a Laurentian or Canadian Catalina Safari. The Chevy was upgraded to the 400 4-barrel LT4 as the base engine for 74, ditto for the Canadian Safaris.
Normally the 400 4-barrel in 74 was exclusive to California, except for the fullsize wagons where 49 states & Canada they ran them without a smog pump. All of them ran the TH400 trans.
Last car use was 76, last truck use was 1980. Good 400 cores are scarce today.
musicman6120 said
Mar 14, 2017
The partial VIN that was stamped on the block pad was 261702197, is it possible to decode it? I know the Canadian VIN's can be tricky to decipher.
Cheers
Greg
73SC said
Mar 14, 2017
musicman6120 wrote:
The partial VIN that was stamped on the block pad was 261702197, is it possible to decode it? I know the Canadian VIN's can be tricky to decipher.
Cheers Greg
You know I'm thinking Gerry had it right at a 1976, Would a full VIN look like this?
XXXX261702197
If right the 6 = 1976 and the 1 = Oshawa, and that is what Gerry initially said above.
Hi Everyone,
I have a 72 LeMans with a 400 small block Chevy in it, which isn't original to the car. I have been trying to decode the engine with the numbers I found on the block. The numbers are as follows: T0123CSU, 330817, and 261702197. Thanks for the help greatly appreciated.
According to the casting# it is a 400 out of a 1976 passenger Oshawa built, I do not find a CSU code though, here are the numbers I have.
T0123CSU
Tonawanda, January 23rd.
-- Edited by 67Poncho on Monday 13th of March 2017 04:24:56 PM
Thanks for the inf!
Given it is a 1974, it is possible it was harvested from a Canadian Pontiac B Wagon, that was the only useage of a 400 sbc in an Oshawa Pontiac that year I believe. The Chevrolet B wagons and cars also used the 400 small block I believe.
Here is the 1972 Canadian LeMans Owners Manual page with engines. Orange = Chevrolet Blue = Pontiac
The 1974 400 small block 4bbl was rated at 180 HP (net) & 290 lb-ft (net)
It must be from a 1974 Chevrolet full-size wagon, or possibly a Laurentian or Canadian Catalina Safari. The Chevy was upgraded to the 400 4-barrel LT4 as the base engine for 74, ditto for the Canadian Safaris.
Normally the 400 4-barrel in 74 was exclusive to California, except for the fullsize wagons where 49 states & Canada they ran them without a smog pump. All of them ran the TH400 trans.
Last car use was 76, last truck use was 1980. Good 400 cores are scarce today.
Cheers
Greg
You know I'm thinking Gerry had it right at a 1976, Would a full VIN look like this?
XXXX261702197
If right the 6 = 1976 and the 1 = Oshawa, and that is what Gerry initially said above.